6 Ways to Nourish the Energy of Earth Within

Earth is Winter's element. The slow-moving, fortifying, nourishing, and stable Earth. The Earth invites us to slow down, take root, and focus on building the containers of our lives. Earth is the bones of something. It is the foundation. When our foundation isn’t sturdy, the entire structure that's built upon it is unstable and suffers. We are discovering and uncovering just how unstable our political and societal foundation is. We are in true need of supportive community, governmental, and societal backbones that will help us all thrive as humans.

And while nationally this is of high concern and importance, we must also focus on the structures within our own lives, as we are ultimately only in control of our own self. It can be helpful to ask ourselves how we can build a foundation of self-trust, self-worth, true self-love and belonging. If we anchor these foundations within ourselves, I know that the external world will begin to reflect this, as I believe the external is a mirror of our collective internal selves.

Here are 6 helpful tools for cultivating the supportive Earth within your life:

1. Ground daily: Stand with your feet hip-width apart, or sit either in a chair with feet firmly on the ground or with your sitz bones in contact with the floor or blanket. Allow the energy of the earth to rise up and meet your body, feeling the immensity of the earth’s power beneath you. Imagine roots extending out from your body and growing deep into the earth. Feel connected to the underground network of tree roots and mycelium. From this place you can feel supported, and can draw up nourishment into your body through your roots. Download a guided grounding meditation to lead you through this process.

2. Create a morning and evening ritual: Daily ritual or routine provides us the consistent ground in which to cultivate trust with ourselves. It also gives our nervous systems a break (which we all need right now), as consistency and predictability allow our brain to take a deep breath. If you need some support, check out my 15 minute Reverent Mornings videos

3. Be with the trees: Find a tall, wide tree to press your back up against. Feel the stability and power here. Fortify yourself with this energy.

4. Eat root vegetables and deeply nourishing foods: Now is not the time for cold juices and smoothies. It is a time to connect with the roots of nature, and to eat warming, nourishing foods to help build up our warm vitality within.

5. Keep promises to yourself: The Earth element helps us find trust. And one way to build trust within yourself is to follow through when you say you will. We all have resistance and blockages. We all have ways in which we self-sabotage. But any small promises we can keep to ourselves help us grow our self-trust, leading to self-confidence and feelings of self-love and worth. Don’t start out big. Start out very very small. Do something so small you can’t fail. It can be so small you may laugh. But that’s ok. Then slowly, slowly begin to increase the commitment. Be careful not to go too quickly. Set yourself up for success here. Trust is slow growing like the Earth. Trust is built brick by brick. Not all at once. Be patient with the process.

6. Touch your body: Our physical bodies fall under the category of Earth. And our physical bodies need touch in order to stay healthy and happy. Touch is generally very grounding for our nervous systems. Start off by touching your feet. Give them a few squeezes. Feel your energy move down into your body. Gently massage up your legs, squeezing and holding, and patting yourself up and down. You can also have a friend, family member, partner, or bodyworker do this for you.

While you move through the first half of Winter, you will be extremely nourished by cultivating the sense of earth within your life. Let me know how these practices go for you or if you have any others to share! Happy Earth-ing :-)